The Weekly Geek / Claude Weaver III
Trade News | December 4, 2008 | Comments (43)
Sorry for the late post folks. I got a little busy this week, what with near food poisoning, several last-ditch study sessions for tests (which I ended up missing due to the food poisoning), and my upcoming birthday party. I would be pissed at Rowles for not reminding me, but he did post those pictures of Tina Fey, so I suppose he is forgiven. Mmmmm, sexy nerd legs, ain’t nothin’ like ‘em.
So anyway here is this week’s geek news:
It seems that there is more trouble afoot with the planned Justice League movie. Australian director George Miller (The Road Warrior) was said to be out as helmer, but reports now state that he is not only still on, but that the original story was some sort of hoax:
“A representative from Kennedy Miller Mitchell tells us that George Miller did not appear on the “Sunrise Morning Show” let alone confirm anything about “Justice League” or “Mad Max.” According to the representative, “The facts are indeed the complete opposite to what was reported” below …Dark Horizons reports that filmmaker George Miller appeared on Sydney-based morning talk show “Sunrise” on Monday and confirmed he’s no longer involved with the Justice League movie in any capacity.”
I think was can all agree that Marvel is wiping the floor with DC in the cinematic arena. After DC managed to steal one of Marvel’s original big guns (Bryan Singer) and the revival of the Batman franchise, there was a point in time where folks thought the fight would at least come close. But with this whole Avengers-based cohesiveness keeping their films on track and DC shedding people off its films faster than (insert reference to Pookie’s mother, her maidenhood, and some well-known unsavory locale), it is going to take a stupendous miracle from DC (or one mother of a flop from Marvel) for that to happen. Confusion on whether or not the director to what could have been their flagship is still on-board is not exactly a step in the right direction.
You remember hearing about The Expendables, the movie that threatens to combine Sly Stallone, Jason Statham, and Jet Li in a kickass action movie? Well, it just got a little more old school. It seems that Sly might be sharing celluloid with his old foe, none other than Dolph “I Vill Break You” Lundgren. Drago … I mean, Dolph is in talks to join the project, along with Forest Whitaker (Ghost Dog, Last King of Scotland).
Meanwhile, Zack Snyder has confirmed that he is currently trying to whittle the Watchmen film down to a shorter final length for the theatrical release.
“We’re getting really close,” producer Deborah Snyder said in a telephone interview on Nov. 18. “We’re at two hours and 35 minutes.”Director Zack Snyder added: “The movie’s pretty long … compared to 300, which was an hour and 58 minutes. The director’s cut [of Watchmen] is about three hours and 10 minutes long. It has even more than the theatrical version as far as the detail that gets even closer to the graphic novel.”
So now there will be three version: the theatrical cut, the director’s 3 hours + cut, and a “Tales of the Black Freighter” animated DVD to be released when the movie hits theaters. Snyder plans to edit in the “Black Freighter” material directly into the main film, presumably for the eventual home release.
Now, for those of you wondering how geeky and obscure I can really get, this one is for you: Gail Anne Hurd, producer of the Friday-opening Punisher: War Zone, has announced two new indie-comic-based projects.
The first is Gearhead, based on a graphic novel from Arcana Comics. It tells the story of a young woman who (get this) “teams up with a group of rebels to fight the corrupt superheroes who govern the United States. She must rise to the challenge of her destiny and become ‘Gearhead.’” I sure hope it is better than it sounds.
The second project is Magdalena, bbased on a spinoff character from Top Cow’s The Darkness. The eponymous character is a woman who discovers that she is part of a long lineage of female warriors, descended from Mary Magadalene, who fight all sorts of supernatural evil. And yes, Hurd already knows what you are thinking:
“She’s terrific. It’s kind of like ‘The Da Vinci Code’ meets ‘Wanted,’” …”You’ve got the mythology and a character who isn’t initially aware of her legacy which something I love. Many of my films deal with that. And it’s still has supernatural elements.”
Uh-huh. Jenny Dewan has been chosen to play the lead, and Luke Goss (Hellboy II: The Golden Army’s Prince Nuada) is playing an agent of the organization behind the Magdalenas. Something tells me they aren’t going to keep the whole thing about the Magdalenas being devout nuns as well.
Little update on a previous related item: Lexi Alexander, the actually-quite-hot director of Punisher: War Zone, is considering taking over the Jonah Hex movie, seeing as how the previous directors got the hell outta Dodge.
By the way, quick note: Luke Goss is currently filming the movie adaptation of the fighting game Tekken in Shreveport, LA, in the role of Steve Fox. Yeah, I had no idea they were making a Tekken movie either. Go figure.
Geek question: After seeing Hellboy II, answer yes or no: Luke Goss as Drizzt Do’Urden in a Forgotten Realms movie. I say yes.
This week’s trailer is a teaser for Astro Boy, a CGI film based on the legendary character created by Osamu Tezuka, the “God of Manga.” The original television adaptation is considered the first official anime, so for you haters out there, this is the guy to blame.
Doesn’t look horrendous YET. It is a teaser, after all. I see they passed on the whole “little boy in only black shorty-shorts” depiction. I wonder if the butt guns will still be in this version:
Each Time You Like, Share, Tweet or Stumble a Pajiba Post, An Angel Does the Paul Rudd Dance
← Pajiba Love 12/04/08 | Rogue and Venom →
Comments
Posted by: Snath at December 4, 2008 1:05 PM
Hmm, I never considered Luke Goss as Drizzt in a Forgotten Realms movie. I never actually considered any kind of Forgotten Realms movie. I would have to agree, though, he would be a great choice.